Court rejects complaint of Sergey Udaltsov

The opposition activist was taken to hospital after the hunger strike, which he declared in protest against his regular arrests

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MOSCOW, January 7 (Itar-Tass) —— The Tverskoy District Court of Moscow described as legal on Saturday the court ruling on the administrative arrest of Sergey Udaltsov, an opposition activist, for a period of ten days, which was passed on December 25, 2011. So, the court rejected his complaint against the ruling of the magistrate’s court.

“The ruling of the Peace Court shall remain unchanged, and the complaint shall not be satisfied,” said Justice Alexei Krivoruchko, pronouncing the verdict.

Udaltsov was set free in the hospital, where he was given medical aid, on January 4, when the period of his arrest was over, but he did not come to attend the court sitting on Saturday. His interests were represented in court by three lawyers.

On December 25 Justice of the Peace Olga Borovkova found Udaltsov, coordinator of the Left-Wing Front, guilty under Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Violations (“disobedience to the lawful demands of officers of law-enforcement agencies”), during the one-man picketing of the building of the Central Electoral Commission on October 24. He was sentenced to ten days of arrest. Udaltsov did not plead guilty. By that time he had been under arrest for about a month for similar offences.

The opposition activist was taken to hospital after the hunger strike, which he declared in protest against his regular arrests.

The case of Udaltsov, who had been repeatedly arrested during the past years for taking part in protest actions, not coordinated with the authorities, met with a broad response in the mass media late in December in connection with peaceful massive rallies, held under the slogan “For honest elections” in the Bolotny Square and the Sakharov Avenue in Moscow. Several actions in support for Udaltsov were held, with hundreds of people taking part in them.

The Interior Ministry provided protection for Justice of the Peace Olga Borovkova, who passed judgment on Udaltsov’s arrest.

Reinforced police details were staying outside the building of the Tverskoy District Court on Saturday. Men of the special task force of the Ministry of Justice were staying inside. Journalists were let in under special lists. The situation was peaceful, however. There were no unsanctioned actions or provocations. The only thing worth mentioning was the hanging at an overpass, near the Sadovy Ring, of a streamer with the inscription “Justice is above law,” which was promptly removed by the police.